An entire area of Ayurvedic healing focuses on psychological health. It is already known that the mind can cause physical diseases. Initially, it is the preoccupied mind which is causing us to not think about our health.

Excess mental problems, such as anxiety or anger can lead to further deterioration of the body. The main therapies for mental healing include Sadhana (meditation) and breathing (pranayam).

When the astral body and the physical body are not clearly delineated (due to a breakdown of the shield between the two bodies) then illusions are created. The weakness may also be seen in the aura.

When the link is weakened, one becomes susceptible to astral forces (i.e. entities or negative emotions from other people or the environment), making one do or think things they wouldn't normally do. Just as there are channels in the body for fluid and energy to flow (i.e., arteries, veins, nerves), there are channels in the subtle body, connecting the energy centers (chakras).

Energies may be disrupted, stagnate or move in the wrong direction, thus causing confusion, illusion, fear, negativity, etc. Hence, It is necessary to keep these channels clean and pure. Therapies for clearing these channels include herbs (e.g. calamus, basil, turmeric, guggul, bayberry) and aromas (e.g. frankincense, cedar and myrrh).

Ayurveda sees psychological problems as imbalances of the internal energies which are interwoven into the whole of cosmic energy, not merely as personal or individual problems. It thus treats the imbalance rather than delve into personal experience.

So, rather than spend therapy time discussing (or in addition to spending time), it directly aims at the cause of all mental imbalances using therapies to heal from the elemental level.

Causes: Many diverse reasons cause mental imbalance; emotional stress, trauma, poor upbringing, repressive religion, influence from disturbed individuals, sexual abuse or perversion, drugs, excess thinking, straining in Yoga, breathing exercises (pranayama) or sadhana (meditation) practices; or naively opening up to astral plane or occult influences.

All these actions are considered "impure", causing too much anger, hatred, fear, nervousness, worry, apathy, dullness, sleep; or finding inadequate time for peace, silence, or for heart-to-heart talks.

Remedies: It is important to renew the mind in silent sadhana (i.e. stop thinking, philosophical thoughts, stimulation of movies, TV, sports, etc.), prayer, chanting, selfless service; all of which nourish the heart if practiced without dogma or sectarianism. Cultivate peace, faith and love. It is also recommended to associate oneself with a spiritual tradition that is not dogmatic.

Mental Disorders Symptoms for the Doshas

Vayu: fear, anxiety, unrest, rapid mood shifts; insanity, schizophrenia

Pitta: blame others; anger, aggression, ambition, see enemies everywhere, on guard ready for a fight, at war with oneself and one's past.

Kapha: excess sleep, day sleep, day dream, attached to past, dull and lethargic, low drive/motivation, dependent, childish desire to be cared for. Therapy: Whole grains strengthen the mind, fruit harmonizes it, dairy nourishes the heart and ghee nourishes the nerves.

A sattwic (pure) lifestyle, which includes rising early (4 - 7 a.m.), yoga postures, breathing exercises (pranayam), sadhana (meditation) and chanting. It is recommended to cultivate love, faith, self inquiry, or meditate on the Divine in a form dear to one's heart; performing service to those in need. An oil-head massage calms and nourishes the mind.

Oils of sandalwood, gotu kola, sesame, coconut, basil, myrrh, frankincense, sage and mint, all clear the sensory channels and promote perception. Application of oils to the neck and shoulders, relaxes nerves.

A few drops of medicated ghee, using calamus or gotu kola, are place in the nostrils to soothe mental activity. Medicated enemas are used for Vayu doshas, (adding sesame oil, and herbs of ashwagandha and haritaki).

Aromas: (e.g. incense, oils, etc.) of sandalwood, camphor and cedar, cleanse psychic environment, Myrrh and frankincense remove negative thinking and purify the air. Rose and lotus calm and nourish the heart. Jasmine cleanses the emotions and increases love and compassion. Gardenia purifies heart. Helpful flowers to have around the house include aloe and basil.

Colors: White- brings mental peace and purity. Blue creates feelings of peace and detachment. Gold develops discrimination. Green promotes harmony, balance and healing.

Gems: Pearl or moonstone calms the emotions, emerald are for healing and balance; yellow brings wisdom; and red coral calms anger.

Herbs: The best herbs for the brain are, gotu kola, calamus, basil, bhringaraj, jatamanshi, Shankapushpi, haritaki, sandalwood, ashwagandha and guggul. Pitta doshas take herbs with ghee; Vayus, with milk, and honey is used for Kapha doshas.

The best herbs for culturing the heart include, shatavari, saffron, rose, lotus, licorice, in a milk decoction. We have discussed the Ayurvedic view of mental health, and various therapies it uses to restore balance by working from the elemental or causal level of the problem.

Meditative practices, herbs, colors, gems and aromas all promote healing and balance, bringing about a quicker recovery from mental illness.



Taking Control of the Mind [added July 07]
The best ways to exercise your harmonious thoughts and to ignore your discordant thoughts are to practice sadhana (meditation directly on the Divine) and to understand the universal natural laws. People say, 'I wish I had a manual for life'. The Bhagavad Gita is that manual, explaining the laws of nature through the story of Krishna and Arjuna.

However, many people have asked me, how can they apply Gita's wisdom to their lives, and find parallels with their own religion. To this end I have written a commentary on Gita [publication date Sept 07] that takes this often difficult to understand wisdom, and, using down-to-earth language and real-life examples, attempted to make Gita relevant for today's seeker of inner peace. At the end of each chapter are exercises to help develop your 'harmony muscles' and your awareness to grow in harmonious thoughts. See excerpts here

There are some additional tools to achieve inner peace that I am currently developing as a follow-up to Gita. But studying Gita for some time will be a good first step.

This article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe. It in no way is intended to substitute for care from duly licensed health professionals.